Caregiving and related concepts such as family or caregiver burden have been widely discussed in recent literature. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample (n = 80) of primary caregivers to severe mental patients (diagnosed schizophrenia, chronic psychosis or affective disorder).To describe the caregivers' and corresponding patients' sample, as well as the nature of existing relationships...
The advances of pharmacological and psychosocial therapies in recent years have deeply changed the perspectives on the treatment of schizophrenia in the community. The hospital-centred models are progressively being replaced with comprehensive community care models. After discussing the main aspects of this evolution at a conceptual level, the authors describe the currently available therapeutic interventions o...
The occurrence of metastases is documented in a varied number of hepato-cellular carcinomas (HCC). The indicative metastasis is very rarely the form of clinical presentation of the disease. Two cases of HCC which were clinically presented in a secondary location, in the bone and skeletal muscle respectively, are described.; The occurrence of metastases is documented in a varied number of hepato-cellular carcino...
Periampullary tumors form a clinical entity with common symptoms, similar therapeutic options, unsatisfactory resectability rates and unfavorable prognosis. From April 1970 until March 1994, one hundred and twenty-seven patients with periampullary carcinoma were operated by our surgical team. In 48 of these patients, a resection for cure was performed (38%). Resectability rates varied according to the origin of...
1) To determine trends in prevalence of neural tube defects and the impact of therapeutic abortion. 2) To review perinatal management of spina bifida.All spontaneous and therapeutic abortions, still births and live births affected by neural tube defects registered in Alfredo da Costa Maternity in Lisbon, from 1983 to 1992, were retrospectively analysed.Eighty-two cases with neural tube defects are reported and ...
From January 1980 until October 1991 we operated 112 patients with Gastric cancer in which Surgery was considered palliative by intra-operative criteria or by pathological analysis of the resected specimen. Locally irresectable tumour was found in 24.1% of the cases, peritoneal metastases (mets.) in 21.4%, liver mets. in 17%, lymphatic mets. in 16.1%, and other mets. in 21.4%. Resections were possible in 57 pat...
Psychiatric morbidity was studied in 73 patients of three Units (Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics) of a general hospital (S. Francisco Xavier Hospital, Lisbon). In the first stage, the patients were clinically evaluated by their doctors. In the second stage, psychiatrists using the General Health Questionnaire (G.H.Q. 30) interviewed all the patients according to the clinical evaluation, 41% of the patients had...
Miotomy is the most common operation for the treatment of achalasia of the esophagus. The most important complication of this operation is gastro-esophageal reflux, and controversy exists in the choice of a thoracic or abdominal approach to this operation. From 1974 until 1988, our group performed 45 miotomies for achalasia of the esophagus. Follow-up was obtained in 82% of the patients. The thoracic approach w...